Drone Sightings over Texas Gulf Coast

By Ariana Garcia, Assistant News Editor, The Houston Chronicle

  Mysterious flying objects overhead. Concern and confusion. And calls for military intervention. This isn’t the plot of “War of the Worlds,” but rather the result of numerous possible drone sightings in recent weeks. The flying objects have been spotted over residential neighborhoods, restricted sites and critical infrastructure.

  Dozens of mysterious aircraft have been spotted flying over Texas’ Gulf Coast for hours at a time over the past few nights. From 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Cheryl Bowman in Crystal Beach told Chron she saw about 20 drones flying in from the Gulf of Mexico toward the Galveston Ship Channel and beyond. More drones appeared around 10 p.m. and remained in the area until midnight on Wednesday. “Three hovered near us lower, then slowly rose up above the clouds for more than three hours,” Bowman said. “They seem to be fairly big because we see them so far out in the Gulf as they fly toward us on the Peninsula.”

  Overnight, more were spotted near the High Island area of the Bolivar Peninsula then toward Rollover Pass. Bowman followed them by car to get a closer look. “It hovered near us for more than 3 hours lower, then rose up above cloud, but I could see them as the clouds passed over,” she said. “With the naked eye, they are clearer. iPhone video doesn’t do it justice.” Bowman’s neighbors also spotted the drones. She reported the sightings to the FBI tip line.

  Residents expressed concerns about the drones flying in Bowman’s videos, one writing: “This is in very close proximity to the Port of Houston, Big Hill National Oil Reserve, Port of Beaumont, NASA, and the largest oil refinery in North America…This area probably has more national infrastructure than anywhere in the U.S.” 

  Some of the drones were also seen over Houston Thursday night. Jimmy Madrigal photographed a group of drones flying over houses near I-45 and Fuqua Street in southeast Houston. The sightings follow reports about similar drone activity in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in recent weeks, the flying devices seemingly increasing daily, raising concerns among residents and local officials as the source of the drones and their purpose hasn’t been confirmed.

  The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and other federal and state agencies released a joint statement on Thursday saying they have “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.” Still, the agencies are investigating the situation to confirm whether the devices are actually drones, manned aircraft, or “otherwise inaccurate sightings.” 

 Drones, a broad term for unmanned aerial vehicles, are widely owned across the United States. Around 792,000 drones are registered with the FAA, nearly evenly divided between commercial and recreational use. They are used in various industries, including photography, agriculture and law enforcement.